Village, Parks End Legal Battle Over Bloomingdale Golf Range

money, Bloomingdale`s two warring units of government are laying down their arms in the uncivil war that had divided the town into bitter factions.

``Enough is enough,`` Thomas Howard, director of village operations, said of the legal battle between the village and the Bloomingdale Park District over a lighted golf driving range. That battle ended this week with the announcement of plans to drop each government`s legal action against the other.

``It kind of poisoned relations between both bodies,`` Howard said.

Bloomingdale Village President Samuel Tenuto on Tuesday told the village attorney to drop the village`s counterclaim against the Bloomingdale Park District.

Tenuto`s move followed the park board`s 3-2 vote Monday night to drop its lawsuit against the village because of the village`s refusal to let the Park District build a lighted golf driving range in Springfield Park.

Voting to drop the suit were newly elected Commissioners Paul Becker, Joseph Caputo and Geraldine McGreevy, who had blasted the suit during their election campaigns. Commissioners Richard Pingel and Joseph Chiaro voted no.

The election of Becker, Caputo and McGreevy shifted power on the park board away from those pushing to continue the lawsuit.

``Along with Joe Caputo and Geri McGreevy, I campaigned to end this lawsuit and must assume that our election means a majority of residents agree with ending this action,`` Becker said Monday night.

Also Monday, it was announced that Tenuto had written a letter promising that the village will donate up to $164,000 to the Park District over five years. The donations will come in the form of cash, 200 trees to be planted and fireworks for an upcoming festival. The village also is providing the services of its planner and will provide more police protection, Becker said. Despite the simultaneous timing of the announcements, Howard said the village`s donations were ``not a strict quid pro quo`` for the end of the Park District suit. Rather, the village wanted to demonstrate its good faith to the Park District, he said.

Tenuto said the village`s financial support reflected his confidence in the five-year plan on which the three new park commissioners campaigned.

Critics had charged during the campaign that ties between Tenuto and Becker, Caputo and McGreevy were too close. But Becker on Tuesday said the donations would not make the Park District beholden to the village, but instead were an indication of new cooperation.

The lawsuit stemmed from the Village Board`s refusal in May 1989 to allow the park district to build a lighted driving range in Springfield Park near the Stratford Square Mall. The Park District said it needed the range to provide revenue for other projects.

At the time of the rejection, Tenuto and a village trustee said they were opposed to developments that they believed would lessen property values. The Park District responded with a lawsuit, which was then followed by the village`s counterclaim. The suit was active until April 2, when Becker, Caputo and McGreevy were elected.

The Park District ultimately spent $55,000 on the case, while the village expects legal fees to total about $61,000.